Power driven, extensible and retractable vehicle radio antennas generally incorporate telescoping hollow sections that are extended and retracted indirectly by a cable. The cable is wound from a reel that is powered by a motor and worm gear assembly. It is also known to push and pull the drive cable with friction rollers as it moves through a storage casing, rather than winding it on and off of a reel. Indirect drive of multipiece telescoping antennas presents a problem in that the cable is put in compression when raising the antenna. As in attempting to push on a string, there is a much lower compression resistance than tension. Extensible and retractable one-piece antennas are also known, which are inherently simpler and durable. These are generally pulled out and pushed back manually into a storage casing located inside a body panel, such as a roof pillar. A manually stowed antenna is, of course, difficult to operate from the interior of a vehicle, especially in motion.